Larry Summers, the former president of Harvard University who once served as U.S. treasury secretary, says he will step back from public commitments after the release of emails showing he maintained a friendly relationship with Jeffrey Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.

Summers did not detail exactly what stepping back would entail, saying in a statement that he would continue to teach and promised to “rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me.”

“I am deeply ashamed of my actions and recognize the pain they have caused. I take full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr. Epstein,” Summers said.

However, the Center for American Progress, a progressive DC-based think tank, confirmed Tuesday that Summers was “ending his fellowship at CAP.” A spokesperson for the Budget Lab at Yale also said Summers is no longer a member of the organization's advisory group.

In a recent class, Summers told students that he plans to step back from public activities while continuing to meet his teaching obligations, according to video from the session.

Meanwhile, Harvard University has reopened an investigation into connections between Summers and Jeffrey Epstein, a university spokesperson said Wednesday, and Summers' office said he would resign from the board of OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT.

Harvard did not mention Summers by name, but the decision to restart the probe follows the release of emails showing that he maintained a friendly relationship with Epstein long after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl in 2008.